2009-12-18
On the Subject of…Cookies
Friends, Romans, Countrymen and everyone else worthy of note*, today I will discuss something near and dear to my heart (or stomach) - cookies. Chocolate chip cookies to be exact. It’s going to be an exciting one, you bet you sweet ass. It’s going to be full of helpful tips, tricks and even a Q/A section! It’s long, but you’ll wish you had less fun.
Let me start out by saying that chocolate chip cookies are America’s number 2 favorite cookies. Number 1 being “Oreos.”*** Given that I have no idea how to make “Oreos”, I figure that I’ll “settle” for number 2.
Let’s start by looking at some of the major ingredients of cookies and what they do. It’s important to know some of these things so that when you’re making your cookies you’ll know what to do to get the desired results. I have compiled these facts from many sources including Wikipedia, the Food Network (we love you Alton Brown) and numerous other sources. Read them carefully because I guarantee that some of you are thinking about these incorrectly. Here I’m looking in your direction D.M. I’ll discuss them in the order of introduction. Click here to continue…
Butter/Shortening/Margarine
Butter, shortening and margarine are all fats. These things are a major flavoring component of cookies. They also affect cookies by tenderizing them and they do this by coating the flour particles. These fats also do something else to your cookies. When you cream them together with your sugar(s) you create seed bubbles that later expand to help your cookies rise. I consider (and I don’t think that I’m alone) creaming to be the single most important technical component of the cookie making. You will never get ideal cookies if you don’t cream properly.